WQXE News

While some portions of Kentucky saw some rainfall in the past week, the mainly dry weather has led to continued drought conditions.

“So the D-0 drought is in the northern part of Hardin County as well as Meade, Breckinridge, and parts of Grayson, and D-0 means that we’re looking at abnormally dry soil conditions right now, and D-1 drought is a little bit more severe on the scale,” said Meteorologist Samantha Wilson with the National Weather Service in Louisville. “It’s a moderate drought and that’s in E-Town, LaRue, Nelson, Hart, and those areas.”

Worsening drought conditions are expected over the next few weeks.

“It does look like this will persist for the next week because we don’t have any rain in the forecast as of right now, and even beyond that it’s looking pretty minimal for any rainfall that we could get, so we are expecting these drought conditions to worsen to either one or two categories more than what we’re seeing right now,” Wilson said.

Burn bans are currently in place in LaRue County and Hodgenville, and the risk is high across the area.

“Fire weather conditions will become increasingly more likely, which means we could have some very light or gusty winds, hot conditions, drying soils, things like that,” Wilson said. “Anything can really spark a quick fire. Of course, cigarettes are a big one. Just be aware of putting those out correctly because fire conditions will become more likely going into the next few weeks.”

Check with your local municipalities on burn bans or restrictions, and learn more about drought monitoring on the NWS Louisville website.

West Point is in Hardin County, and the West Point River Days Festival returns to Veterans Memorial Park this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

“It’s like a reunion for everybody who used to live here in town,” said Festival Chair Jo Sabol. “We all look forward to seeing each other every year at the festival. It’s just something everybody from West Point always looks forward to.”

The festival kicks off Thursday with the Golf Cart Poker Run followed by Carrie-Okie. Friday features Meatloaf impersonator Joseph Williams, country/southern rock band Miles Apart, and a mullet and big hair contest.

Saturday activity kicks off with the annual River Days Parade.

“If you want to be in the parade, just come down to the old school building at 13th and Geoghegan streets,” Sabol said. “Lineup starts at 10:30 and the parade kicks off at 11. They take floats, golf carts, bicycles, four-wheelers, pretty much anything you want to decorate and put in the parade, you’re more than welcome.”

Saturday park activity opens at noon, with more live music on the schedule.

“We have Yellow Banks that go on at 3, and then at seven it’s the band C.M.N.,” Sabol said. “It’s Joe Lambert. He’s a hometown boy, so we’re looking forward to having him back. We haven’t had him here in a little while. We have a silent auction, vendors, kids games, and we wrap it up Saturday night at dusk with a huge fireworks show. People come just for the fireworks show.”

Visit the West Point River Days Festival Facebook page for more information.

Governor Andy Beshear recognized September as Hunger Action Month during his Team Kentucky Update Thursday, noting that at least 710,000 Kentuckians are facing food insecurity.

“That’s one in six people across our state, and it includes one in five children, and the Commonwealth continues to have the nation’s highest rate of hunger among older adults,” Beshear said. “These aren’t just statistics. They’re our neighbors, our family, and our friends.”

The governor noted actions taken by the state to help address hunger issues along with challenges such as cuts to SNAP benefits. He said your local food bank needs help “now more than ever,” and encouraged Kentuckians to reach out and support their neighbors in need.

“If you’ve been waiting to find that cause that you can jump into, this is one that’s worth it,” Beshear said. “When you do it, you’re helping everybody, and you’re helping them solely based on need.”

Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland Marketing and Communications Manager Manda Barger says 21.1 percent of children in the region struggle with food insecurity, with numbers for the region and Hardin County both trending higher than national averages.

FAKH has multiple opportunities to donate or volunteer.

“A lot of people can also just advocate, get this information out there,” Barger said. “We don’t want this to be a hidden issue in our community. We want to make sure that people who need help are getting it, but also that we are aware of the problems that members of our community are facing.”

Visit www.feedingamericaky.org for more information.